Let’s face it, asking customers to hand over their personal data is no small ask. We live in a world where inboxes are overflowing, and data privacy is top of mind for many people.

So, how do you get someone to sign up for your email list? Simple… Give them something in return.

Value Exchange

When a potential customer shares their email address, they’re giving you something valuable: access to their inbox. In return, they expect something equally valuable, whether that’s exclusive content, early access to products, or, most commonly, a welcome discount.

Why does this work?

• Instant Gratification: Customers get a reward instantly, which increases the likelihood they’ll make a purchase right away.

• Trust in the brand: Offering an incentive up front creates a sense of trust and makes the customer feel appreciated. This can encourage more engagement in the future and result in higher customer value.

• Easy segmentation: For brands that deal with both B2B and B2C customers, segmentation is one of the most important tools in your arsenal. By tracking how a customer signs up (e.g. via a pop-up form on your site), and their actions afterwards (i.e. did they use their discount straight away), you can ensure they enter the correct flow and only receive information which is relevant to them.

  
  

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Offering a welcome discount is proven to boost conversion rates significantly, resulting in bigger, healthier mailing lists. According to Shopify, businesses that use introductory discounts see conversion rates increase by up to 40%. Meanwhile, welcome emails generally enjoy open rates of over 50%, so it’s a win-win in terms of getting eyes on your products.

So…how do I do it?

Here’s my top 3 tips for creating an engaging welcome offer:

1. Be Clear

   Don’t hide the offer. Make it obvious and irresistible. Instead of your form saying “Subscribe for Updates,” try something direct, like “Get 10% Off Your First Order!”

2. Be Personal

   Personalise your welcome email. Address your customer by name and include product recommendations based on their browsing history. (You can contact me here if you’d like more information on this).

3. Be Urgent

   Put a time limit on the discount to drive urgency. “Be quick. Your 10% off expires in 7 days!”

   
   

Want more ideas like this?

You can sign up to my mailing list here and receive a list of 101 campaign ideas completely FREE.

I think that’s a fair exchange for your data…right?